Throttle device for gases



A. RACEK THROTTLE DEVICE FOR GASES Filed Sept. 5, 1965 Ill/l/l/ I 40 m t a! 31 32 9 3a f y I i/; I

n Me )4 0 r p h r'e-c/ Race/ gwgmlM Ffforneys United States Patent ABSTRACT on THE DISCLOSURE A device for throttling gases comprising first and second adjacent pipe socket members each of whichhave, on one end, means for connection to a gas conduit system. The first socket has a recessed opening in the other end for receiving the other end of the second socket therein. Means are provided for adjustably positioning the second socket within the first socket under pressure. A gas impermeable member and a porous member are disposed in the opening between the first and second sockets with the second socket pressing against the porous member to control the passage of the gas therethrough and thereabout.

In order to decrease the pressure of gases, throttle devices are in use, which in the simplest case comprise a throttle bore-hole decreasing the pressure of the gas flowing through. If the gas pressure behind the throttle, the so-called hind pressure, has to be maintained independent of the pressure before the throttle, the fore-pressure, the throttle bore-hole is covered by a valve body which, independent of the hind pressure, is more or less nearly approached to the throttle bore-hole. The effective transverse section of the throttle bore-hole is thus regulated in accordance with the throttlingrequired. In this way, the dependency of the position of the valve body, e.g., with liquefied petroleum gas plants, is achieved by the intermediary of a membrane being connected with the valve body and being, on the one hand, fed by gas and, on the other hand, loaded by a spring.

In practice, such throttle devices -.of various types have given best results; however, they require a relatively high number of individual parts, the mutual exact cooperation of which is only guaranteed when maintaining a great precision. t

For smaller mechanisms, throttle devices of simpler construction have already' been proposed, comprising a throttling member being plate-shaped and textileor sponge-like and said gas passing therethrough. Due to their porosity, such throttling members consist of a multitude of small throttle openings which, when the gas is passing therethrough, will decrease its pressure. The value of the throttling effect is regulated by compressing the porous plate to dilferentdegrees, by which compressing, of course, the value of the throttling path will be changed.

Known materials used so far for such throttling members are, e.g., felt, paper, latex foam rubber, and the like. However all these materials have the disadvantage that they must be compressed to a very high degree in order to achieve the desired throttling effect. But the sensitiveness of such throttle devices is very poor as after a slight relaxation of pressure on the throttle body, a jump of the hind pressure will result. The known throttle devices of this kind also have the disadvantage that in this event a larger quantity of gas will be collected within the pores of the porous throttling member when the valve placed behind the throttle is closed. Upon opening this valve, the quantity of gas collected, suddenly escapes.

As a result of thorough and systematic trials and considerations, it has been found that the disadvantage of "Ice the known throttling members mentioned can be avoided by using a throttling member having open hollow spaces resulting from washing-out of soluble materials.

Such textileand sponge-like products may consist, e.g., of regenerated cellulose which may be stiffened by admixture of fibers. However, throttling members have proved particularly effective if they are made as impregnated fleeces with natural rubber, synthetic rubber, thermoplastic plastics or the like, preferably as tangled fiber fleeces. Such fleece materials are known and especially in use as household cloth and the like. These materials are manufactured in such a manner that fibers having the form of fleeces are impregnated with aqueous dispersions or emulsions of rubber-like gluing materials and the impregnation is given more firmness by the use of heat, water-soluble materials being added in a distribution as uniformas possible during the process of manufacture and later on being dissolved out of the finished product, leaving open pores, as soluble materials are used, e.g. inorganic salts, starch, urea, or other materials.

Due to the multitude of open pores or hollow spaces, respectively, the products thus manufactured are highly absorbent, on the other hand, however, they have a high ability for throttling. This might be due to the fact that the hollow spaces resulting from washing-out of soluble materials between the fibers glued with each other are interconnected by very small openings which are all acting as throttling bore-holes. The throttling of gas caused by the connecting openings thereby is already of great influence at the marginal layers of the throttling member so that also the quantity of liquefied petroleum gas sucked up by the member, when opening the valve placed behind, is not suddenly eliminated Without appreciable throttling effect and, therefore, under pressure increase as with known throttling members.

In order to avoid the sudden escape of the quantity of gas, sucked up, furthermore, it has proved suitable to have the plate-like throttling member radially disposed with respect to the flow of gas in a manner known per se, because then the flow speed Will accelerate due to the smaller transversal section towards the interior and thus the throttling effect inside will increase too.

Besides, plate-shaped throttling members have already been disclosed, consisting of an organic and/ or inorganic fibrous material combined with synthetic rubber. However, merely by the admixture of rubber, the results endeavoured to obtain, cannot be achieved. To this end, the formation of pores by washing-out soluble materials is absolutely necessary. Essentially the same refers also to throttling members of synthetic fibers made by thermal absorption.

Hereinafter, the invention is more fully described with reference to two embodiments by way of example shown on the drawings. Thereby, FIG. 1 represents a throttle arranged in a pipeline. FIG. 2 shows a throttle with a valve placed behind it, arranged at the top of a liquefied petroleum gas tank.

According to FIG. 1, two adjacent pipe sockets 1 and 2 are provided, both sockets having at their outer ends a thread each for connecting to tubes or the like. The socket 1 is provided at its inner, thicker end 3 with a wider internal thread 4, furthermore, the end 3 has a shoulder 5 for taking up a gas impermeable plate 6. By the thread 4 a nut 7 is screwed into the thicker socket end 3, the socket 2 adjoining like a threaded union a shoulder 9 of the nut 7 with a flange 8. Between the socket 2, pressed into the direction of the plate 6 by the nut 7, and the plate 6, a porous plate 10 is arranged which, according to the invention, consists of a tangled fiber fleece, impregnated with rubber or the like, which fleece has open hollow spaces resulting from the washing-out of soluble materials. A packing ring 12 lying in a peripheral groovQ t11.

avoids the gas from escaping outwardly.

The arrangement shown in FIG. 1 may have the gas passing through in both directions; in the following description of operation, it is presumed that the gas coming from socket 1 with increased pressure, has to be throttled in order to flow on in the socket 2 with decreased pressure.

The plate 6 is lying on the shoulder 5 without packing so that gas is flowing around the plate 6 and penetrates into the throttle plate at its outer periphery. When radially flowing through the plate 10, the gas has to pass a multitude of small hollow spaces and thereby is strongly throttled. When flowing off the plate 10 at its center, the gas thus has a lower pressure, with which it also fiows on in the socket 2.

The value of throttling is adjustable by screwing the nut 7; if, namely, the nut 7 is screwed into the socket 1, the pressure on the plate 10 is increased, their hollow spaces become smaller and the throttling effect is increased. When backing off the nut 7, the porous plate 10 can expand again due to the elasticity inherent to it and-the throttling eifect decreases.

As already mentioned, it is also possible to feed the socket 2 with gas of higher pressure. In this event, the gas would flow in the throttle plate 10 from socket 2 to socket 1 and thereby would be throttled again. In order to regulate the gas flow, in either socket l1 or 2 or also only in one of them, a stop valve might be arranged. It could also be imagined to turn the screw 7 by a transmitting mechanism in dependency of the pressure in the pipe 2 so that this pressure is kept steady, independent of the pressure in the pipe 1. Particularly for a larger inside diameter of the socket 2, a gas impermeable plate provided with a centric bore-hole may be arranged between socket 2 and plate 10 in order to elongate the throttling path.

FIG. 2 shows an arrangement in which the throttling member, which is combined with a valve, is fixed at the upper end of a liquefied petroleum gas tank, e.g., of a fuel tank for gas-lighters. For this purpose, the tank 21 has a pot-like curvature 22 being connected by its bore-hole 23 with the interior 24 of the tank 21. In the curvature 22, a plate 25, e.g., of felt, is arranged undermost, above it a gas impermeable plate 26 and above this a porous plate 27. The plate 27 is again formed as a throttling member having hollow spaces resulting from washing-out of soluble materials. By a thread 28, a screw 29 is screwed into the curvature 22, in the axial bore-hole 30 of which a valve stem 31 is guided. The valve stem 31 has an axial channel 32 being closed at its lower end by a resilient plug 33 and connected with the bore-hole 30 by a transverse channel 34. The plug 33 serves as a valve head for the opening 35 of a valve plate 36, the border 37 of which is drawn upwardly so that a pot-like shape results. The plate 36 is pressed against the throttle plate 27 by the screw 29, a small wheel 38 fitted on the screw being provided for operating the latter. Between the raised border 37 and the wall of the curvature 22, a packing 39 is provided to avoid an escape of gas through the thread 28 or between the plate 36 and the screw 29, respectively.

If gas has to be discharged from the tank 21, the valve stem 31 is lifted by an actuating mechanism (not shown) acting upon the supporting shoulder 40 so that the open- .4- I ing 35.is, releasedby the plug 33, The gas coming from the tank flows through the plate 25 and is enforced by the gas impermeable plate 26 to flow outwardly and to pass by. The essentially still unthrottled gas, therefore, penetrates the throttle plate 27 at its outside periphery, is strongly throttled during its passage, and flows on through the opening 35, passing gy the plug 33 and the valve stem 31 as far as to the transverse channel 34 in order tofiow off finally through the channel 32. r

The value of throttling may be varied by a different tightening of the screw 29, a wide area of adjustment being achieved by the plate 25 of porous, resilient material lying undermost, because the mamas at the very first avoids too strong a compression'of the throttle 2 7 dueto its resiliency.

Many modifications are possible within the scope of the invention. Particularly, the arrangement of the throttling member may be modified in various manners, inasmuch as use is made-of the type of throttle according to the invention.

I claim:

1. A device for throttling gases comprising first and second pipe sockets, each socket'having an axial bore passing therethrough, means on one end of each said socket for connection to'a gas conduit system, said first socket having a recessed opening in the other end coaxial with said bore, means for adjustably positioning the other end of the said second socket-in said recessed opening of said first socket, a gas impermeable member having a diameter less than that of said recessed opening and a porous member having a diameter substantially the same as the diameter of said recessed opening, said gas impermeable member and said porous member being disposed in said opening between said first and said second sockets respectively, said second socket being disposed to resiliently press against said porous member to control the passage of gas therethrough, said device being positioned in said gaseous conduit system whereby gas fiow will flow axially through the bore in said first pipe socket, about the periphery of said gas impermeable member, radially through said porous member, and axiallythrough the bore in said second socket, said porous member being a tangled fiber fleece impregnated with natural rubber, synthetic rubber, plastic material, and the like.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 744,964 11/ 1903 Hancock 138-42 1,883,720 10/1932 Grimes 138-42 X 2,078,567 4/1937 Foregger 251-121 X 2,304,689 12/1942 Hanson 138-42 2,504,678 4/1950 Gardner 138-43 X 2,635,641 4/1953 Kasten 138-43 X 2,657,712 11/1953 Huston 138-43 2,722,942 11/1955 Hencken 251-118 X 2,857,927 10/1958 Pardee 138-43 X 3,241,804 3/1966 Bjorklund 138-43 X FOREIGN PATENTS 692,516 6/ 1953 Great Britain.

M. CARY NELSON, Primary Examiner.

ROBERT C. MILLER, Assistant Examiner. 

